Cup holder arrangement

ABSTRACT

A cup holder arrangement ( 1 ), intended in particular for a dashboard in a vehicle, has a housing ( 2 ) which is provided with an elongate opening ( 3 ) and relative to which a cup holder mechanism ( 4 ) can be displaced between a storage position and a use position. A cup holder device ( 7 ) forming part of the cup holder mechanism ( 4 ) is rotatable about a rotation axis line ( 8 ) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing ( 2 ) and located at one end of the opening ( 3 ). The cup holder device ( 7 ) is arranged so as, in use position, to be located to the side of the opening ( 3 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a cup holder arrangement, in particularfor a dashboard in a vehicle, according to the preamble of patent claim1.

STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Quite a number of types of cup holder arrangement intended formounting in the dashboard of a vehicle are available on the market. In acommon type, a first part, intended to form a bottom support for a cup,is pivoted out in a vertical plane, after which a second part, intendedto form an upper support for a cup, is pivoted or folded out into afundamentally horizontal position. In this connection, a cup will belocated essentially just in front of the opening used in the dashboard.In another type of cup holder arrangement, a first part, intended toform an upper support for a cup, is instead pivoted or pushed out in ahorizontal plane, after which a second part, intended to form a bottomsupport for a cup, is pivoted or folded out into a support position. Inthis case as well, a-cup will be located in front of the opening used inthe dashboard.

[0003] For reasons of space, it is often desirable to position a cupholder arrangement close to other equipment on the dashboard. With thesolutions described above, it may then happen that a cup will concealother equipment or make it difficult to reach for operation, withattendant disadvantages. In order to reduce such inconvenience, attemptshave been made to reduce the dimensions of the cup holder arrangement,but this can in turn lead to the cup holder arrangement being fragileand easy to damage.

[0004] Against this background, there is a need for a cup holderarrangement which is easily positioned and robust at the same time as itdoes not unnecessarily make it more difficult to use equipment on thedashboard.

THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0005] One object of the invention is to produce an improved cup holderarrangement, intended in particular for a dashboard in a vehicle.Another object is to achieve a simple and inexpensive solution whichaffords good and reliable functioning.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the invention is achieved by making a cup holderarrangement with the features indicated in patent claim 1.

[0007] By virtue of the embodiment selected, a cup will during use belocated to the side of the place selected for the cup holderarrangement, in which way it becomes possible to position the cup holderarrangement in a location which would otherwise be disadvantageous withregard to accessibility or availability of other equipment on thedashboard. Furthermore, it is simple, by merely an axial displacementmovement of an operating button, to maneuver the cup holder arrangementinto a desired position in connection with use. Another advantage isthat the parts which serve for supporting the cup can be made rigid andtherefore stable at the same time as they can be guided smoothly intoand out of use position.

[0008] Further advantages and features of the solution according to theinvention emerge from the description below and the other patent claims.

[0009] The invention will be described in greater detail below withreference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] In the drawing:

[0011]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cup holder arrangementaccording to the invention in rest position,

[0012]FIG. 2 shows the cup holder arrangement according to FIG. 1 in useposition,

[0013]FIG. 3 shows a view at an angle from below of the cup holderarrangement in FIG. 2,

[0014]FIG. 4 shows components forming part of the cup holder arrangementin FIG. 2, and

[0015]FIG. 5 shows a detailed illustration of a part shown in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

[0016] A cup holder arrangement 1 according to the invention shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 is intended in particular for mounting in a dashboard (notshown in greater detail here) in a vehicle. It is provided with anessentially flat housing 2 which, at one of its end walls, has anelongate opening 3 which is positioned here with its longitudinaldirection oriented essentially horizontally. A cup holder mechanism 4can be displaced axially to and fro in the longitudinal direction of thehousing 2, according to a double arrow 5 shown in FIG. 1, between aninserted storage position according to FIG. 1 and an extended useposition according to FIG. 2.

[0017] As can be seen more clearly from FIG. 2, the cup holder mechanism4 comprises a piston 6 which is guided in the housing 2 and at one endof which a cup holder device 7 is mounted rotatably about a rotationaxis line 8 which is located at the side of the piston and extends inthe longitudinal direction of the housing 2. The cup holder device 7comprises, on the one hand, a first support element 9 which is intendedto support an upper part of a cup and is preferably annular and, on theother hand, a second support element 10 which is intended to support alower part of a cup. In FIG. 2, the first support element 9 has beenrotated clockwise, from a rest position in FIG. 1, in the direction ofthe arrow 11 through an angle of roughly 180° into an essentiallyhorizontal position. On the other hand, the second support element 10has been rotated counterclockwise, from a rest position, in thedirection of the arrow 12 through an angle of roughly 130°, so that asupport portion 13 is located under a ring formed by the first supportelement 9 and can serve as a bottom support for a cup. When the cupholder mechanism 4 is returned to the rest position by being pressedinto the housing 2, the rotary movements indicated take place in theopposite directions. The cup holder mechanism 4 is operated by pressingan operating button 14 which is mounted so as to be freely rotatable onthe second support element 10 and therefore does not rotate togetherwith the support elements 9 and 10 when they rotate but remainsstationary relative to the operating finger or thumb.

[0018] As can be seen from FIGS. 1-3, a first guide groove 15, intendedfor controlling the movement of the first support element 9, and asecond guide groove 16, intended for controlling the movement of thesecond support element 10, are arranged in the housing 2. Each of theseguide grooves 15, 16 has a straight portion which is parallel to therotation axis line 8 and, next to the opening 3 of the housing 2, mergeswith a curved portion 15 a and 16 a respectively. Along the straightportions of the guide grooves 15, 16, only axial movement of the supportelements 9, 10 takes place, with these oriented in a rotary positioncorresponding to the rest position in FIG. 1. The rotary movement isbrought about by means of the respective sections 15 a and 16 a of theguide grooves when the support elements 9, 10 are located outside thehousing 2.

[0019]FIGS. 4 and 5 show in greater detail how the support elements 9and 10 can be maneuvered. The piston 6 is provided with two guidegrooves 17, 18, each for its own guide pin 19, 20, which are arranged ata given axial spacing from one another and are rotatable about therotation axis line 8. The guide pin 19 runs in the guide groove 15 ofthe housing and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner, via asuitably tubular spindle 21, to the first support element 9 at that endof the latter located next to the operating button 14. The guide pin 20runs in the guide groove 16 of the housing and is, in a correspondingmanner, connected in a rotationally fixed manner, via a spindle 22located inside the spindle 21, to the second support element 10 at thatend of the latter located next to the operating button 14. On the piston6, there is an axially projecting bearing portion 23, inside which thespindles 21, 22 extend and on the outside of which the support elements9, 10 are intended to be mounted.

[0020] In order to bring about extension of the cup holder mechanism 4and the piston 6 from the housing 2, use is suitably made, according toFIG. 4, of a spring means 24 which acts on the piston 6 and can, forexample, be of the type in which a rolled-up plate spring strives tostraighten itself in order to push the piston 6 out. In order for thepiston 6 to have a smooth and even extension movement, it is suitablyprovided with a damping arrangement 25 which interacts with the housing2 and can, for example, be of the known type in which a wheel rotates ina damping medium and the wheel is driven by a gear wheel which interactswith a rack (not shown) arranged in the housing 2. The piston 6 is alsosuitably provided with a locking arrangement 26 which, by interactionwith the housing 2, can lock the piston 6 in inserted position.

[0021] The housing 2 can suitably be constructed from two halves and bemade of plastic. In this connection, it can according to FIGS. 1 and 2be provided with a suitable number of suitably designed stiffening means27, in the form of, for example, support ribs. The housing 2 is alsosuitably provided with locking means 28 for fixing the housing in theintended space in the dashboard of a vehicle.

[0022] When the cup holder arrangement 1 is to be used, the cup holdermechanism 4 is, by means of the operating button 14, pressed a littleway into the housing 2 so that the locking of the piston 6 ceases, afterwhich the cup holder mechanism 4 is pushed out of the housing 2. Tobegin with, the guide pins 19, 20 run in the straight portions of theirguide grooves 15, 16, until the support elements 9, 10 have come out ofthe housing 2. The guide pins 19, 20 are then guided into the sections15 a, 16 a of their guide grooves, with the result that the supportelements 9, 10 are, with well-balanced movements, rotated into their usepositions, in which they are located to the side of the opening 3 in thehousing 2. When the cup holder arrangement is no longer to be used, thecup holder mechanism 4 is, by means of the operating button 14, pressedback into the housing 2, the support elements 9, 10 being rotated backinto rest position.

[0023] The embodiment described here can of course be varied in a numberof different ways within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example,the rotation axis line 8 can be located at the opposite end of theopening 3. It is furthermore possible, for example, for both the supportelements 9, 10 to be rotated in the same direction and to design them ina different way.

[0024] Instead of, as shown here, mounting the housing 2 with thelongitudinal direction of the opening 3 oriented horizontally, it isalso possible to mount the housing 2 so that the longitudinal directionof the opening 3 is oriented vertically, with corresponding adaptationof the movement of the parts included in the cup holder mechanism 4 ofcourse, so that the cup holder device 7 will be located to the side ofone long side of the opening 3.

1. A cup holder arrangement, in particular for a dashboard in a vehicle,with a housing (2) which is provided with an elongate opening (3) andrelative to which a cup holder mechanism (4) can be displaced between aninserted storage position and an extended use position, in which latterposition a cup holder device (7) is in use position, wherein the cupholder device (7) is arranged rotatably about a rotation axis line (8)parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing (2) and located atone end of the opening and is also arranged so as, in use position, tobe located to one side of the opening (3).
 2. The cup holder arrangementas claimed in claim 1, wherein the cup holder mechanism (4) comprises apiston (6) which is guided in the housing (2) and at one end of whichthe cup holder device (7) is mounted on a bearing portion (23)projecting axially from the piston.
 3. The cup holder arrangement asclaimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cup holder device (7) comprises afirst, preferably annular, support element (9) intended to support anupper part of a cup, and a second support element (10) intended tosupport a lower part of a cup.
 4. The cup holder arrangement as claimedin claim 3, wherein the first and second support elements (9, 10) arearranged so as to be rotated in opposite directions during movementbetween rest position and use position, and vice versa.
 5. The cupholder arrangement as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the two supportelements (9, 10) are each in rotationally fixed engagement with arespective spindle (21, 22) mounted in the piston, each spindle bearingin a rotationally fixed manner a guide pin (19, 20) for engagement witha respective guide groove (15, 16) in the housing (2), the guide grooves(15, 16) being designed so as to bring about the intended rotation ofthe support elements (9, 10).
 6. The cup holder arrangement as claimedin any one of claims 3-5, wherein the spindle (22) of the second supportelement (10) is arranged inside the spindle (21) of the first supportelement (9).
 7. The cup holder arrangement as claimed in any one ofclaims 1-6, wherein the cup holder device (7) bears a freely rotatableoperating button (14), by means of which a user can, by pressing, movethe cup holder mechanism (4) between rest position and use position, andvice versa, in the course of which a locking arrangement (26) betweenthe housing (2) and the piston (6) is operated.
 8. The cup holderarrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the piston (6)is spring-loaded into use position.
 9. The cup holder arrangement asclaimed in any one of claims 1-8, wherein there is a damping arrangement(25) between the piston (6) and the housing (2) in order to damp theextension movement of the piston (6).
 10. The cup holder arrangement asclaimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the opening (3) is intended tohave its longitudinal direction essentially horizontal, the cup holderdevice (7) being arranged so as, in use position, to be located to theside of one short end of the opening.
 11. The cup holder arrangement asclaimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the opening (3) is intended tohave its longitudinal direction essentially vertical, the cup holderdevice (7) being arranged so as, in use position, to be located to theside of one long side of the opening.